--- title: "Drivers Are Not Buying Teslas Specifically Because of Elon Musk’s Annoying Behavior" description: "Would-be Tesla buyers are more turned off by Elon Musk's brand and politics than ever before, a new survey shows." date: "2024-07-02" modified: "2024-07-02" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/drivers-turned-off-tesla-elon-musk" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Tesla" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "politics" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Drivers Are Not Buying Teslas Specifically Because of Elon Musk’s Annoying Behavior ![Would-be Tesla buyers are more turned off by Elon Musk's brand and politics than ever before, a new survey shows.]() *Tech billionaire Elon Musk (L) speaks during a ceremony held to inaugurate satellite unit Starlink at a community health center in Denpasar on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on May 19, 2024. Musk launched on May 19 his Starlink service on Indonesia's resort island of Bali as the country aims to extend internet to its remote areas. Millions of people in Indonesia, a vast archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, are not currently hooked up to reliable internet services. (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP) (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA/AFP via Getty Images) \Image: SONNY TUMBELAKA/AFP via Getty Images\* ## Brand Recognition Elon Musk is a man with [many brands]() — but for electric vehicle shoppers, his personal brand has become increasingly toxic. In a survey of more than 7,500 of its readers, [*The New York Times* found]() that a "vast majority" of respondents were critical of [Musk's political views]() and [erratic behavior](). And crucially for Musk's bottom line, those sentiments seem to extend to their feelings about Tesla vehicles. Aaron Shepherd, a Seattle-based product designer for Microsoft, told the newspaper that he's planning to buy Volkswagen's electric ID.4 SUV over a Tesla due to the South African-born billionaire's politics. "You’re basically driving around a giant red MAGA hat," Shepherd said. Another reader, IT worker Achidi Ndifang, cited [Musk's seeming anti-Black racism]() as the main reason for his Tesla disdain. "My mother was seriously debating buying a Tesla," Ndifang, who lives and works in Baltimore, told the newspaper. "As a Black person, I felt like it would be an insult for my mother to drive a Tesla." ## Now Trending While some people argued that they could divorce the man from the machines, an analyst who spoke to the *NYT* suggested that there's a greater trend at play. "Musk is a true lightning rod," remarked Ben Rose, the president of the Battle Road Research firm. "There are people who swear by him and people who swear at him. No question, some of his comments are a real turnoff for some people. For a subset, enough to buy another brand." For at least one *NYT* reader who once considered himself a fan, however, the serial business owner's rightward shift was enough to discourage him from Tesla completely. "There’s a time when I’d have given Musk an organ if he needed one," said Tim Yokum, a Chicago software engineer. Now, Yokum says, the Tesla Model S he currently drives will be the last one he'll ever own. "Tesla is the only manufacturer in contemporary times that has unapologetically let its CEO take a tiki torch to its good name," he quipped, referencing the [tiki torches used by right-wing protesters]() at 2017's deadly "Unite the Right" protest in Charlottesville, Virginia. It's not the first time we've seen [Musk's fanboys]() [turn against him]() — and it certainly won't be the last. **More on Musk:** [*Elon Musk Blasts Boeing CEO as Its Troubled Spacecraft Trapped Astronauts on Space Station*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()